Slamdance Showcasing Midwest Filmmakers

January 28, 2015
by Mike McNamara

Greetings from Park City! With the Slamdance Film Festival wrapping up tomorrow night, I thought I'd give you a look at the outstanding Midwest filmmakers premiering their work here this year. Here's a quick rundown...

Slamdance slated Michigan-made 20 YEARS OF MADNESS for its opening night documentary. When the eccentric cast of a mid-90s Public Access show in Detroit reunite after 20 years to make a new episode, they are forced to take a hard look at their lives and reconcile their teenage dreams with the realities of adulthood. At the center of the storm is the show's creator (also a producer on this doc), Michigan native Jerry White Jr. I'll have an interview with Jerry for ya in FILMMAKER FOCUS shortly...

Chicago-made UNKNOWN UNKNOWN premiered in the Slamdance Shorts program this week. The surreal "comedy about a variety of meats" takes place in a family owned grocery in the heart of Humboldt Park. Written and directed by Ed Flynn, lensed by Aemilia Scott, produced by Holli Hopkins-McGinley. Cast includes Flynn, Susan Monts-Bologna and Michael Patrick Thornton; give this short some love on facebook.

Ohio native and Ohio University grad Ben Patterson shines in his directorial debut, SWEET MICKY FOR PRESIDENT. With the help of Pras Michel of the Fugees, presidential candidate Michel Martelly, aka Sweet Micky, campaigns against all odds in Haiti's third ever democratic election. Rave reviews rolling in for this one, click here to take a look.

RED LUCK is written and directed by Ohio filmmaker Mike Olenick, filmed in Ohio with an all Ohio cast and crew. Anonymous notes, a jump rope, an overgrown yard, a crumpled piece of tinfoil, a baseball bat and a drill guide a group of individuals towards violence, sexual perversion and an inevitable encounter with RED LUCK. Check out the trailer here.

And last but not least, SCREEN co-hosted the annual Sundance/Slamdance filmmaker social MONDAY ON MAIN STREET this week, we'll have pics for you in our PHOTO BOOTH shortly.

I'll be here through the weekend... drop me a line anytime at mac@screenmag.com if you're here in Park City or have any news to share.

Mike McNamara is the Co-Founder of The Midwest Independent Film Festival, www.midwestfilm.org. Mike pays his rent as an actor in Chicago in theatre, commercials, television and film. More from Mac at www.findmac.com.